Drawing borders and crossing borders in a united Europe

Participants at the Fourth Summer University organised by the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community this year discussed the challenge posed to the Catholic Church by what could be called a redefinition of borders that is taking place in Europe, especially with reference to the effects of the expected enlargement of the European Union in 2004.

The Commission, known as COMECE for short, is made up of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of the member states of the European Union. The Bishops' Conferences of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland are associate members.

This year's Summer University was held from September 7 to 11 at Dom Sveti Jozef, Celje, in Slovenia, on the theme "Borders - Drawing borders, crossing borders and peaceful coexistence - A challenge for the Catholic Church in Europe".

The first COMECE Summer University was held in Souvigny, France, in 1999 on the theme "Church and Contemporary Culture: Reflecting on an ecclesiology for the Europe of today". The second one took place at Menaggio, Italy, on "Hyperlinks to Europe", while the third one, in 2001, was held in Goslar, Germany, on "Challenge for Church, Society and Government."

The Church is a real presence in Europe. Indeed, Christianity has been such an integral part of the formation of Europe that even today's pluralistic society still reflects its pristine Christian elements. And every single country, whatever its main Christian denomination, or, at times, its seeming lack of it, owes much of its culture, legislation, architecture, arts and so many other constituent elements of its fabric to Christianity in one or several of its denominations.

It is for this very reason that the Catholic Church can and should make a special contribution to overcoming borders in a united Europe, for its own identity as both local Church and universal Church is an example of the richness to be found in both diversity and community.

That richness was in evidence during this Summer University which brought together 35 young people working with the Bishops' Conferences in 18 countries, both current and future member states of the European Union. The diversity could be seen and heard in the music, the language, the testimonies of the speakers, the situation of Catholics in different countries. And yet, given so many common elements, and in spite of so many differences, one could still live the community experience in the ability to celebrate the Mass and pray together.

In a few weeks' time the European Union will decide whether the time has come to admit up to ten new members from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. It will be the most momentous change in the composition of the EU since its foundation. From 2004 the EU will begin to resemble Europe itself.

At the same time, the European Convention is working on a constitutional treaty with the aim of turning the EU from a union of European states into a true union of European peoples.

This "Europeanisation" of the European Union, as Pope John Paul II calls it, raises questions about borders: the political borders that are disappearing within the EU, and the new external borders that will be erected as a result; the cultural and linguistic borders that will have to be crossed more and more as people work together in the same union; the borders between wealth and poverty, between European countries and the developing world, which must never be forgotten in the enthusiasm to build a united Europe.

Because although many often speak of a borderless Europe, yet many borders remain within the EU in terms of language, culture, temperament, and even religion. This is no bad thing, for the purpose of borders should be to hold communities together, not to keep them apart. Borders provide the structure for the community; the security and the confidence in one's own identity that should make it possible to welcome newcomers rather than exclude strangers for fear of the unknown.

It is essential that the enlargement of the EU, and in particular the Schengen Zone, should not be cause for discrimination or new divisions between neighbours who have long lived together in peace.

The development of a European consciousness, running alongside a sense of local, regional and national identity, is not just desirable but necessary in order to meet the political, ethical and anthropological challenges of the EU. The responsibility of the Church to help develop such a European consciousness lies not only with the bishops, who already work together through their own organisations such as COMECE, but with the lay people, clergy and religious.

Even greater efforts need to be made at the grassroots level, for example through the twinning of parishes and dioceses and the exchange of Church staff, if a genuine European community is to be achieved.

The conclusion of the COMECE Summer University came September 11. In the aftermath of the terrible attacks that took place in the United States one year before, many borders - not only physical, but cultural, political and religious - have become stronger or more clearly defined. Christians must have the faith and the strength to ensure that those borders do not become the cause of new conflict, discrimination or exclusion.

This is the contribution they are expected to make. Because their Church is concerned with people, they have to see that it fulfils its mission towards the making of a Europe of the people.